RelentlesslyOptimistic

Threat detected!

From Unsettled Randomness via www.soberinanightclub.com

The Wrath of Charlotte

If you haven't read Charlotte's Web, you should!

Image from the terrific Tom Ledin, via culturepopped.blogspot.com

Linkfest: The "Party of the Hissy Fit" advocates violence...and less!

Loses touch with reality. Refuses to join Democratic statement supporting civility. Originally proposed the very reform they now oppose.

Timothy Egan in the New York Times

But the Republican Party now has taken some of the worst elements of Tea Party anger and incorporated them into its own identity.

“Let’s beat the other side to a pulp![emphasis added]” Rep. Steve King, Republican of Iowa, shouted to the last stand of Tea Partiers on Sunday night. “Let’s chase them down! There’s going to be a reckoning.”

Indeed there will. But as the party of the hissy fit[emphasis added], Republicans are playing with fire.

Having welcomed Tea Party rage into their home, and vowing repeal, the Republicans have made a dangerous bargain. First, they are tying their fate to a fringe, one that includes a small faction of overt racists and unstable people. The Quinnipiac poll this week found only 13 percent of Americans say they are part of the Tea Party movement.

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Joining the "Keep your government hands off my Medicare" faction, Republican US Senator Lamar Alexander said:

"The Democratic majority decided, well look, while we're at it, let's have another Washington takeover," said Alexander. "Let's take over the federal student loan program[emphasis added]."

All above via maruthecrankpot.blogspot.com at WTF Is It Now?

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Also from the New York Times:

"Politico reported Friday that the Republican National Committee declined an offer from its Democratic counterpart to have both party heads sign a joint statement reminding 'elected officials of both parties to set an example of the civility we want to see in our citizenry.'”

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The AP reports:

Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it.

"The idea of an individual mandate as an alternative to single-payer was a Republican idea," said health economist Mark Pauly of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School."

"It could have been the basis for a bipartisan compromise, but it wasn't," said Pauly. "Because the Democrats were in favor, the Republicans more or less had to be against it."       

Messing with their minds #2: Creeping People Out

Almost as fun as this.

via woosk.com

Giant Trampoline Park to be built in Presidio airplane hanger. Trampoline dodgeball!

A building with trampoline floors and walls. I give up. I MUST move to San Francisco.

House Of Air will soon open a trampoline park inside this airplane hanger at San Francisco's historic Presidio. They will even have trampoline dodgeball! How am I supposed to resist such a thing?

via ladymisskate.tumblr.com

"That is what makes us the United States of America"

"We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities. We are a nation that does what is hard. What is necessary. What is right. Here, in this country, we shape our own destiny. That is what we do. That is who we are. That is what makes us the United States of America."

He didn't say "in spite of the Republicans," but they did a fine job of making that point themselves. John McCain said:

"There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year"

Which prompted Harry Reid to respond:

"For someone who campaigned on ‘Country First’ and claims to take great pride in bipartisanship, it’s absolutely bizarre for Senator McCain to tell the American people he is going to take his ball and go home until the next election."

That does seem to have been the Republican method from the beginning, though. James Fallows reported this exchange between House members last month:

"GOP member: 'I'd like this in the bill.'
"Dem member response: 'If we put it in, will you vote for the bill?'
"GOP member:  'You know I can't vote for the bill.'
"Dem member:  'Then why should we put it in the bill?'"

"I Am Not Bound To Win, But I Am Bound To Be True"

We have elected a president who is doing what we've said for decades we wanted, a president who is doing what he believes is right, rather than what is expedient. He quotes Abraham Lincoln: "I am not bound to win, but I'm bound to be true. I'm not bound to succeed, but I'm bound to live up to what light I have." And he calls on Congress to do the same:

This is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself, doggone it, this is exactly why I came here. This is why I got into politics. This is why I got into public service. This is why I've made those sacrifices. Because I believe so deeply in this country and I believe so deeply in this democracy and I'm willing to stand up even when it's hard, even when it's tough.

Let's hope and pray that they do just that.

The full text of the speech is available on www.huffingtonpost.com

"Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus have a sword fight"

David Thorne is an Australian with an interestingly twisted sense of humor (my favorite kind). Recently his child brought the below permission slip home from school.

Mr. Thorne replied:

Dear Darryl,
I have received your permission slip featuring what I can only assume is a levitating rabbit about to drop an egg on Jesus. [snip] I am happy for him to participate in your indoctrination process on the proviso that all references to 'Jesus' are replaced with the term 'Purportedly Magic Jew.'
Regards, David.

The resulting email exchange includes the retort quoted as this post's title. Read the entire conversation here.

via puzzld.tumblr.com

The Bad Day

via malebovineperflogs.blogspot.com

Happy banana guy: Surreal Dole commercial

Not since the Folger's "Tolerate Morning" commercial have I seen an ad as surreal as this. Banana snot! Click the pic to see the animation at 9gag.com

Too bad there's no banana song, because I'm singing the Happy Morning song after watching the commercial again half a dozen times.  Go watch it!

via 9gag.com

Shakespeare on Facebook

via 9gag.com

Illuminated "Party Rats are the fun way to have fun!"

via pictureisunrelated.com

Total eclipse: Another reason to love Kansas City

Party at my house: August 21st, 2017

via thedailywh.at

What Mr Hankey does the rest of the year (SFW)

They don't really look like potatoes, do they?

Mr Hankey for non-South Park fans. From juliasegal.tumblr.com

He's all grown up

via theduty.tumblr.com